What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[Clayton]

Not yet but I plan to listen to it at some point. I've only just decided:

1. That I like Price
2. That I like Bergonzi even more
3. That older recordings might have something to offer me

Uh oh!

A whole (new) area opened up...


I am still very much stuck in the world of baroque.

I may be some time.

[MAuer]

But still tell us. I love knowing what my opera friends are listening to or watching.

For the next several days, it will probably be the DVD of the Salzburg Ariadne auf Naxos with Magee, Mosuc, and Kaufmann. I'd like to familiarize myself with that opera.
Otherwise, you really don't want to know how frequently I listen to Fidelio (talk about an addiction ).

[Nekrotzar]

I watched Fidelio for the first time today (amazing story!) so I'm now listening to it....

[Clayton]

My latest find in the charity shop. It was new but the box was slightly damaged (cardboard sleeve creased in one corner). Unhealthily-box-obsessed Clayton agonized over the purchase for about twenty-six minutes. Sweating, heart racing, hot, cold, confused, pick it up, put it down, repeat last two steps a further seventeen times, check who is staring at you, move away, no, no, go back in case some one else comes. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargggghhhhhhhhhh!
Okay music wins.

Vivaldi: Griselda, RV718
Griselda: Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto), Costanza: Veronica Cangemi (soprano), Ottone: Simone Kermes (soprano), Roberto: Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor), Gualtiero: Stefano Ferrari (tenor) & Corrado: Iestyn Davies (countertenor)
Ensemble Matheus
Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Recorded November 2005 Salle Surcouf, Foter du Marin, Brest

[Clayton]

Restoring rightful balance to the universe...

The recording that requires no introduction...

Possibly the greatest ever...

...

Recorded in a galaxy...


Oh shut up you fool! Let the music speak for itself!

Okay, okay! Don't be over dramatic about it!

Don't be insulting! This music is not to be mocked!

blah, blah, blah... Clayton's verbal diarr... going on and on and on...



La Scala 1955 7th December 1955 live recording remastered Pristine Audio.




I have a back up store of 20 cellophane envelopes to keep this CD always protected.

[Hoffmann]

That's a hard act to follow, but:



Conductor: Herbert von Karajan

Fiordiligi: Elizabeth Schwarzkopf
Dorabella: Nan Merriman
Guglielmo: Rolando Panerai
Ferrando: Leopold Simoneau
Despina: Lisa Otto
Don Alfonso: Sesto Bruscantini

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus

(1954)

[Soave_Fanciulla]

That's a hard act to follow, but:



Conductor: Herbert von Karajan

Fiordiligi: Elizabeth Schwarzkopf
Dorabella: Nan Merriman
Guglielmo: Rolando Panerai
Ferrando: Leopold Simoneau
Despina: Lisa Otto
Don Alfonso: Sesto Bruscantini

Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus

(1954)

well that's weird

Thought you were listening to what i was:

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Also....



Not enjoying this as much as the Price/Bergonzi version I was listening to yesterday. Christoff does weird Russian stuff to Italian vowels, Cerquetti is too matronly sounding and Mr Shouty del Monaco is about as subtle as an avalanche in the Alps. I've never liked him and I still don't.

[Nekrotzar]

Been listening to more German stuff somewhat contemporaneous to Fidelio. Listening for influences....



This is my first experience or this opera! The music aspect of it is truly amazing, I will have to watch it on YouTube when I can.

[Clayton]

Shock therapy worked and I'm back in to the nineteenth century.

Again with Norma but this is the one where Cecilia Bartoli is about to show us her new embarrasing tattoo she got last night when on the sauce.

Bellini: Norma
Cecilia Bartoli (Norma), Sumi Jo (Adalgisa), John Osborn (Pollione) & Michele Pertusi (Oroveso), Liliana Nikiteanu (Clotilde), Reinaldo Macias (Flavio)
Orchestra La Scintilla, International Chamber Vocalists
Giovanni Antonini
Recorded April and September 2011 and January 2013, Evangelisch-reformierte Kirchgemeinde, Zürich-Oberstrass, Switzerland

[Clayton]

So, Cecilia, how many tattoos did you get?



Four? Are you telling the truth?



Come on now, tell me honestly. How many tattoos did you get?



Five! Now was that a really good idea? What do you think your mother will say? How do you feel?

[Nekrotzar]

This is really becoming a favourite opera of mine. This recording is on the speedier side. It's quite nice.

[Hoffmann]

well that's weird

Thought you were listening to what i was:

How do you like that? Go figure.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

So, Cecilia, how many tattoos did you get?

Hehehe, hilarious! This is one of the funniest posts in Opera Lively's history!

[Clayton]

Hehehe, hilarious! This is one of the funniest posts in Opera Lively's history!

I can already see the posts coming;

"... don't encourage him! ...